Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 - Casualties

Casualties

All of the passengers and crew aboard Flight 529 survived the initial impact; the fatalities were the result of a post-crash fire.

The fire started approximately one minute after impact. An oxygen bottle behind the First Officer's seat ignited, contributing to the strength of the fire. Despite a dislocated shoulder, First Officer Warmerdam used the cockpit fire axe to cut through the thick cockpit glass. David McCorkell, a surviving passenger, later assisted by pulling the axe out of the cockpit through the hole Warmerdam had created and struck the glass from the outside in order to increase the size of the hole and help Warmerdam escape. While he was being rescued, Warmerdam said to fire chief Steve Chadwick, "Tell my wife, Amy, that I love her." Chadwick replied, "No sir, you tell her that you love her, because I'm getting you out of here." The emergency crews successfully pulled Warmerdam out of the aircraft, but Captain Gannaway was knocked unconscious in the crash landing and never regained consciousness, eventually sucumbing in the fire. In an ambulance, Warmerdam consoled paramedic Joan Crawford, who believed Warmerdam would soon die. Crawford had undressed him to cool him down and pinned his badge to his underwear, to help with identification later. Despite his injuries, Warmerdam survived the plane crash.

In addition to Captain Gannaway, seven passengers died as a result of the crash and subsequent fire, including three who died within thirty days of the crash; bringing the official death toll to eight. A ninth victim died four months after the crash from severe burn injuries. None of the passengers or crew escaped uninjured; eight had minor injuries.

Many of the passengers suffered survivor's guilt; some believed that they should have assisted passengers.

Mary Jean Adair, one of the survivors, died of a heart attack eight weeks after the crash. She was included in a dedication to the people killed by the crash in a memorial service at an elementary school gymnasium some years later.